The present invention relates to an improved method of cleaning charged residual toner from the photoconductive surface of a photoreceptor.
In conventional xerography, a xerographic member comprising a layer of photoconductive insulating material affixed to a conductive backing is used to support electrostatic latent images. In the xerographic process, the photoconductive surface is electrostatically charged, and the charged surface is then exposed to a light pattern of the image being reproduced to thereby discharge the surface in the areas where light strikes the surface. The undischarged areas of the surface thus form an electrostatic charge pattern (an electrostatic latent image) conforming to the original pattern. The latent image is then developed by contacting it with a finely divided electrostatically attractable powder referred to as "toner." Toner is held on the image areas by the electrostatic charge on the surface. Where the charge is greater, a greater amount of toner is deposited. Thus, a toner image is produced in conformity with a light image of the copy being reproduced. Generally, the developed image is then transferred to a suitable transfer member (e.g., a sheet of paper), and the image is affixed thereto to form a permanent record of the original document.
Residual toner remaining on a photoreceptor after transfer is conventionally removed by an abrasive cleaner such as a blade, brush, or web. Physical contact between the cleaner and the photoreceptor results in wear on both the cleaner and the photoreceptor. To overcome the problem of wear, a method is needed by which the photoreceptor can be cleaned without physically contacting the same.